Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Pinedo.
Diana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The story of Ms. Informed Latina began when I graduated college in 2009 (during the recession) it was tough to say the least. I wasn’t able to find a job in my field and I ended up navigating my adult life so blindly. From poorly managing my finances (401Que?) to sloppy resume writing and interviewing to crappy health and personal development. I made so many poor decisions because well, I didn’t know any better, I was lost, misguided and misinformed.
Neither college nor my upbringing really prepared me for adult life basics. Many of us who grew up in lower-income households to immigrant parents didn’t get the basic fundamentals of how to manage finances, advance in career or prioritize our health because our families didn’t know any better. They did the best they could with what they had and with that they knew, and the rest was, well up to us. But how do you even begin when you are not given the basic resources and tools to navigate your adult life? Looking back now, I think that colleges and the exuberant amount of financial investment that we make in our higher education should be preparing you for life. There is a huge gap in what happens in your formative years from high school all the way through undergrad and then once you’re out and left to fend for yourself.
I believe in college there should be required courses in personal finance and investing, there should be required courses on career and professional advancement and there absolutely should be a requirement to check on your health beginning with your mental health, followed by a proper understanding of nutrition, sexual health, reproductive health, physical health and relationship health. This should be available at all collegiate levels, state, public, or Ivy league institutions and without discrimination based on race and wealth.
So, in 2016 I set out on a quest to get more informed (hence Ms. Informed) and then knew that it was my obligation as a woman, Latina, human & citizen to share my knowledge. The reason being? I never want other Latinas to ever feel like I did lose, misguided and misinformed.
Ms. Informed Latina launched in 2017 as a simple blog and YouTube channel where I would journal my own struggles and provide advice. I didn’t spend as much time building it because I was working a full-time job of 60 hours a week. Plus, I allowed self-doubt, fear, worry and excuses to get the best of me and my little blog & channel sat empty for almost two years until this year 2020. I finally decided to go all in, letting go of any self-doubt and pulling myself up by my boot (or rather heel) straps. I pivoted from only a blog and YouTube channel into a full blown brand/business and podcast.
How am I helping young Latinas get informed? I do this by creating relevant practical content via my blog & social platforms around the fundamental topics of finances, health and career. I do live speaking events at Latino organizations within Southern CA universities to personally connect with my audience because I do not want to hide behind a laptop or Instagram page. I want to personally & positively impact the lives of young people. I also created my own personal brand merchandise and I launched my podcast The Bestie Bestie Bom Bom, a Selena inspired podcast as an extension to my mission of getting Latinas Information with my best friend of over 15+ years as my cohost, Elvia Sornoza.
We invite expert women of color to share their knowledge, experience, tools and tips on all things career, finances, health & wellness. We provide Latinas advice from the professionals to help create a larger community of Informed Amigas! We named our Podcast after Queen Selena and her popular song Bidi Bidi Bom Bom. She is the perfect example of who we are, what we stand for, represent and admire, being bicultural, bilingual, Latina and of course getting our Bom Bom on.
My newest goal is to enter the start-up tech world and develop an app or database platform to connect Black/Latino finance, health, & career experts & coaches to work with students of color across all college campuses. Think bumble for students and experts.
Let’s just say I have been pouring my heart and soul into developing this brand. I have a little team of four that I hired, trained and managed. And I’ve been running this brand by DIYing everything and I’m still learning.
I hope this brand becomes a thriving tech company that I get to lead & design so I can carve out my little place/space in this world, but most importantly I hope to see more of us in positions of power, getting a seat at the table, getting the representation we deserve, building generational wealth and living in a much more equal, fair and just world being more informed because informed people make better decisions and therefore have a greater impact.
One of the biggest challenges I faced, while building this brand was myself and my mindset. Constantly making excuses as to why I couldn’t start or rather finish or follow through on what I had begun. I let self-doubt get the best of me with that never-ending feeling of “not enough” to be doing this. Smart enough, financially savvy enough, career-oriented enough, healthy enough. I also let fear of what if, hold be back. What if it’s not good, what if nobody cares, what if they don’t like it or want it. Everything else is definitely figure-outable or should I say Google-able. You really learn to be agile and nimble when you begin, and we live in a world where we can ask a question and get the answer seamlessly and efficiently. But mindset was my biggest obstacle I had to overcome, or should I say still working on it. A work in progress indeed.
Ms. Informed Latina – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Ms. Informed Latina as an online platform created to help young Latinas and disenfranchised communities of color navigate adult life by equipping them with the right resources, tools and information to make more informed decisions around career, finances & health so they can live a prosperous & purposeful life.
I believe what we do best and what sets us apart is our creative but authentic brand voice & culturally relevant content. This platform was created for and by Latinas in mind. We speak to you how you would understand as if we were two old friends having a chat at a coffee shop. We don’t use confusing or big terms; we want to bring it back to basics so that you can fully understand and get informed. We are just all about always keeping it real.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define success by the way I make people feel. Getting responses, notes, feedback, DM’s about how they have been positively impacted by my content, speeches, blogs, podcast or information. If I make a positive impact on one person’s life then I consider this a success.
Success for me is also creating a brand that truly helps change people’s lives. It gets them on the right path to financial freedom or wealth, helps them grow in their career to get into decision making roles, and gives them the tools to understand that health always comes first. I hope this brand creates a ripple effect of information breaking generational gaps and barriers so that we can begin the healing and the progress. Success for me is ensuring that I positively influence the next generation so I leave behind a legendary unforgettable contribution.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.themisinformedlatina.com
- Phone: 8185680585
- Email: msinformedlatina@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msinformedlatina/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmsinformedlatina
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/InformedLatina
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ms-informed-latina/
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